It’s that time again: Serious Writer’s Accountability Group Check In!
But before we get to that, a quick request: if you like StoryADay and find it useful, could you help me spread the word by nominating it for the annual Write To Done Best Websites For Authors list? Thanks!
You’re back! Or you’re here for the first time. Either way, good for you!
Welcome to the Serious Writers Accountability Group, where we post our goals for the coming month and ‘fess up to how much we wrote last month.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesnât have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments on previous SWAGr posts.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
- Complete a draft of a story – Ashley
- Write 1 blog post a week – Cris
- Write 10,000 (fiction) words this month.â – Julie
- Read a new short story every day.” – Julie
- Track my time and see whatâs getting in the way of my writing – Alex
- Revise two short stories and research possible markets – Jeannie
-  Schedule âme timeâ to recharge my creative juices  – Jeannie
- Finish one of my other short stories and send it out – Maureen
- Write at least 500 words a day on any project – Maureen
- Write 1,500 words a day on my book. On weekends …Â write 2,500 words a day – Jeffrey
- Writing the synopsis for my novel – Misa
- Finish one story draft each month – Carol
 So, what will you do this month? Leave your comment below:
(Next check-in, Jan 1, 2015. Tell your friends. )
Don’t forget, if you need inspiration for a story you can still get  ALL THE PROMPTS from StoryADay May 2014 and support the running of the StoryADay challenge at the same time. Give a little, get a little đ Click here.
Ever fancied going on a Writer’s Retreat? I wanted to let you know about a lovely retreat organized by Charlotte Rains Dixon, who was nice enough to host me on her blog a while ago.
The retreat is next summer in the south of France (a beautiful region I visited years ago). I’ll be interviewing Charlotte about the retreat here at StoryADay.org, but if you’re interested don’t miss the discount that’s on offer until the end of Dec.
OK, I have to confess that my word count for this month was rather less impressive than the 10K I promised. It was more like 3-4K of fresh words. I did, however, rework a few stories and read a lot of critiques for my writing group. I’m currently working through a novel written by a group member (the third I’ve done in as many months) and it is very, very instructive as I think about finishing off my own novel.
I’ve been blocking out the climax and end of that project, which has taken more time than I expected (hence the low word count) but is proving very useful. I really was stuck, without a plan. (I’m using “Million Dollar Outlines” by Dave Farland and “Writing The Breakout Novel” by Donald Maass to help me keep on track).
Next month is, of course a busy one, but I’m hoping that will make me focus on being productive in the more constricted time I’ll have available for writing each day.
For Dec:
Write the climax of the novel
Write one Christmas themed short story
Great plan!
I had to look back and see what I said last time! I’ve finished my 2,000 word short story and read it out at my writing group, it was favourably received with positive feedback. It was aimed at a new anthology, with a lottery ticket theme, which I think you may have used as a prompt some time ago.
I’ve found at least two short story competitions, that I’ll be entering in the New Year, so looking to get ideas for these started this month.
I’ve pulled together a plan for the remainder of my half finished plan, but it could still do with a bit more detail. I’ve started editing Chapter 2, which made me cringe when I re-read after a gap of about 3 years. I’m looking to start a brand new chapter and then complete it, before doing any more editing.
Finally, I attended a self publishing conference on saturday, which was very worthwhile. Lots of good information and inspiration.
Great stuff, Malcolm. I like the idea of using contests to provoke yourself into writing and finishing stories. Also good for you, educating yourself about the business. It’s increasingly important.
I managed to finish my NaNo novel (55k words in all) even though I got seriously sick in the middle of the month, so I feel pretty good about that. Turns out doing double wordcount the first few days will reeeally pay off on the days you can only get out 400 words before you’re sneezing too much to continue.
And I did write the first draft of a short story, although I haven’t been able to polish it or send it out yet.
This month I plan to:
– Do first-pass edits on my NaNo from last year
– Start (possibly finish?) a romance novella I’ve been turning over in my mind.
– Write 2 short stories, send at least 1 out.
Wow! Hope you feel better. You’re much more ambitious than I am.
Ha, I’m kind of an overachiever. This is me trying to be conservative about my plans, believe it or not… ‘ok, self, I know you THINK you can do all the editing and definitely finish the novella and do five other things, but I KNOW that the last time you tried that it didn’t turn out well; let’s cut it down.’
Go for it!
Woo-hoo! Well done, you! Isn’t it amazing how much you can write when you push?
In November I completed a story from the Story a Day Challenge and submitted it to Women on Writing Flash Fiction contest. Next up is to complete another unfinished piece and try to put together a poetry chap book.
Good luck with the contest!
Excellent! Good luck!
I nominated you!
I don’t join in here much but I do find it inspiring and I love the way this site feels so friendly.
Thank you so much!! And I love that long-time StADa friends keep coming back and helping to make the site so friendly! đ